Michael Loring's Blog, page 9
May 24, 2014
The Fox In The Field is now FREE!
The Fox In The Field is now FREE!
That’s right! I bring good news to everyone who is looking for a new, quick read! My short story, THE FOX IN THE FIELD, is permanently FREE on Kindle and Nook! If you’re interested in reading it, it’s available right this second!
Synopsis:
David Carlyle and his fiancée Candice are on vacation in Ireland. But exploring the beautiful scenery around Haggard has not numbed over the troubles of their soon-to-be marriage.
David is plagued by Candice’s strange behavior and distant attitude, but, none of this matters when David’s life is forever changed the day he spots a peculiar little fox trudging through the hills with a mystical plan of its own.
Have you already read THE FOX IN THE FIELD? If so, I have another permanently free short story, CARPE DIEM!
May 18, 2014
Card Tricks by Jon Messenger
Card Tricks by Jon Messenger
Synopsis:
Joey isn’t a Super, at least not in same league as Superheroes like Inferno or Strong Man, or even Supervillians like Razor or The Puppet Master. His power “activates” cards, bringing the printed word to life. It’s a great power for a card shark, which fits perfectly into his unmotivated lifestyle. When his girlfriend gets kidnapped by The Puppet Master, however, Joey has to face a life-changing decision: run away from his responsibility, or become the unlikeliest of heroes.
Review:
Card Tricks by Jon Messenger is a novella about Joey Scaglione, a Super with the power to bring cards to life that has no intention of capitalizing on his powers for more than personal gain.
In a world where people with superpowers have become commonplace, Joey tries his best to stay out of the limelight. He uses his powers to rig poker games, to extort money from ATM machines, and for protection in fights. He has no desire to put on a costume and fight crime, as he sees the idea of superheroes being a nuisance on the city rather than a blessing. With supermen around the police and government are lax, not even trying anymore as they know a Super will just come and save the day. It’s lazy, and Joey despises it.
His policy of staying out of trouble is pushed aside as his girlfriend is taken hostage by a well-known super villain, The Puppet Master. Joey reluctantly puts on the hero mantle and goes to rescue his girlfriend, questioning the whole way why he must be the one to do this.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It’s reminiscent of X-Men and the BBC show Misfits. I loved the slew of references to card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering; games I used to play when I was younger. There was an element of comedy too that had me laughing wildly, Author Jon Messenger putting together the ultimate “geek package” as I like to say. This is a story that deserves more attention than what it gets, and I seriously recommend everyone who ever bought a starter pack of cards to pick this up!
Five out of Five stars!
May 8, 2014
Political Rant
Political Rant
The title to this post might be misleading. This isn’t a rant about politics; it’s a rant about people who rant about politics.
I recently stopped following someone on Facebook because they were continuously posting political debates on their page. Now, before anyone retorts to this statement, I want to make it clear that I didn’t stop following this person – who I won’t name because I don’t want to start a fight - because of what side they were on (Republican or Democrat) but because of the fact that they were posting this stuff at all.
If it were a page dedicated to talking about politics, then by all means go ahead and post your political opinion. But if you’re running a Book Review/Non-Political Author page, then don’t. People aren’t liking your page because they want to get into an argument over whether or not our president is doing a good job. We’re here to talk about books, or movies or anything related. Politics is far off our radar, and to bring it into view is annoying to me. Doing it maybe once or twice is fine, but to do it continuously… you might as well change the subject matter of your page.
Just remember that if you’re a Book Reviewer, an Author, a Book Promoter, or anything of that nature: don’t bring politics into the picture. Make a separate page/blog to talk about it. People are there for books, not because they’re Republican/Democrats.
That’s my rant, and I thank you for letting me vent.
-Michael
May 5, 2014
I Love My Blog
Yes, this is me. Try not to puke!
I Love My Blog
I sincerely do love my website. It’s completely and utterly mine, and it’s a beautiful thing. I’ve poured countless hours into posting on it, editing it, keep up with it, and promoting it. Every post is filled with my heart and soul on the matter with which I’m discussing. I never have to bullshit here, because this is my domain. I have total freedom here, and I always make sure to appreciate it. You never truly appreciate something until it’s gone, but I plan to show my website the utmost love no matter what.
It’s here I post my book reviews, my movie lists, my works, and pretty much every random thing I feel worth talking about. The best part of it all, other than getting these troublesome thoughts out of my noggin, is that I get to see everyone read my posts and like them and share them and just plain acknowledge them. All of your support means so much to me, you don’t even know. I get to log on and see how many of you have read my articles and it blows my mind that even one person gives a shit about what I have to say.
Thank you all for allowing me this space to rant, rave, and just about be as dumb as I want. I’m in lesbians with you all.
-Michael
May 3, 2014
Wounded by Ben Burgess Jr.
Wounded by Ben Burgess Jr.
Synopsis:
Samantha Miller didn’t have an easy start. Molested as a child and subsequently forced into prostitution by her drug-addicted mother, Samantha learned at an early age that men were not to be trusted. Being constantly preyed upon taught her to be a predator. Her target was women-specifically, straight or married women. As the headliner at a local strip club, Samantha capitalized on the gifts she was cursed with. In turn, her life quickly spiraled down a dangerous path of violence, seduction, and exploitation. When Sasha is brought on as the new bartender, she becomes Samantha’s newest target. The last thing Samantha anticipated was falling in love. When tragedy strikes, what was once a challenge may prove to be her downfall. Can Samantha heal from her abusive past, or will she always be Wounded?
Review:
“Love is Patient, Love is Kind.”
Wounded is a standalone novel by Monster Author Ben Burgess Jr., telling the story of Samantha Miller and her journey to leaving behind her tragic past and leading herself into a brighter future.
Samantha is a dancer with a dark past, the only thing giving her life any true meaning the women she took to bed and “turned out.” Haunted by the molestation she endured as a child, Sam refuses to trust anyone other than her friends Silka and Jaime. But when a new bartender at the strip club she works at comes along, her beliefs are shaken.
It starts off as just another conquest, but quickly turns into a love affair that has the potential to break or make Samantha forever.
I have read Author Ben Burgess Jr.’s other novel, Monster, and greatly enjoyed that. When I learned of this book I knew I needed to read it. The true, raw emotion in this novel is awe-inspiring. The author creates such deep characters that you can’t help but fall in love with, flaws and all. I felt a deep connection with Sam, truly weeping for her when things got to be hard for her. She is a complicated character, layered with so much strife and untapped potential that by the end of the book she has brought out in full.
This is a fantastic book, through and through. Fantastic characters, each with their own tale to tell, and a masterfully crafted story of taking tragedy and surviving it. This author is to be applauded, and I definitely plan on keeping up with him and all of his other works.
Five out of Five stars!
Dehumanized 2 Sneak Peek
Dehumanized 2 Sneak Peek
I asked everyone on Facebook if, as a prize for following my Found Footage Movie List, you’d all like a sneak peek of the sequel to Dehumanized. Of course you guys swarmed and, as promised, I’m here to deliver!
PRETEXT: This takes place in Chapter 17, after Ryan ran away from the group for reasons you’ll learn later.
**WARNING: This piece contains nudity, blood, light gore, language, and is completely unedited. Viewer discretion is advised.**
D2 Excerpt
There was a cold breeze running down his naked back, making him shiver violently and curl into the warmth that was encasing the rest of his body. There was a sudden gust of wind, and Ryan moaned as he shivered again. When he opened his mouth something wet and hot fell into it and he opened his eyes in shock.
For a few seconds Ryan couldn’t see anything. His vision was blurry, but there also seemed to be something in his line of sight that obscured the rest of the world from him. He frowned, trying to regain his senses and wake up. Suddenly a foul stench filled his nostrils and he began to gag, pulling back slightly to blink and get a better look at the thing in front of him.
His eyes widened in horror. He was lying naked in the middle of some forest clearing, the cold morning wind grazing his back, cuddled against a deer. But it wasn’t just an ordinary deer. Its throat, stomach, and chest cavity had been ripped open and the innards had been torn out and devoured – by him. He was coated in blood from head to toe, his fingers caked with it along with little flecks of the poor animal’s fur and skin. He could taste the blood in his mouth, could feel it on his tongue. And to top it all off he was curled into a ball inside of the deer’s hollowed out stomach like a goddamn Ton-Ton.
Ryan, in a panic, disentangled himself from the dead deer and backed up away from it until his back hit a tree. He panted, staring at the dead animal with wide, horror-filled eyes. In all of his years of transforming he had never killed an animal. He had been covered in blood many times before, but never like this. Never from head to toe. And never had he cuddled with what he killed.
He stared into the soulless eyes of the poor deer, hollow and gray. There were claw marks all along its body, especially around its neck and face. The blood oozed out into a wide pool that had dried some time ago, the congealed liquid shining under the sun’s rays. There was an imprint where Ryan had been lying, showing that the wolf had lain down next to the deer while it was still bleeding.
Ryan felt his stomach curdle in disgust and he leaned over to vomit the contents of his stomach – which were most likely bits of the deer.
He leaned back against the tree once he was done puking and just sat there breathing, trying to calm his racing heart and shot nerves. Everything was so distorted, his brain a scattered set of thoughts and memories that he was trying to piece together so he could think properly.
Another gust of wind blew past and Ryan chattered his teeth. It was freezing, and he was just sitting there naked against a tree covered in dried blood. He fought the urge to vomit again at this thought and forced his aching body to stand. He groaned as all of the joints in his body banded together to protest this action, but he ignored them and started walking away from the dead deer, trying his hardest to leave it behind both literally and metaphorically.
Why had he Changed? He tried to remember. He knew it wasn’t the full moon last night; otherwise his friends would be close by. They had agreed to never transform alone, lest one of them got lost and caught. Did he branch off from the group for some reason, or had something happened to make him Change?
That’s when it hit him. The memory of Russell lying in bed bleeding smacked him right in the face and made him halt. He stood there, staring down at the ground as all the memories from the previous day came back to him in one dreadful moment. He clenched his bloodied hands and began to jog, fighting against the cold wind brushing his naked body by gritting his teeth.
The human part of him worried about catching hypothermia, but the wolf part of him assured him he’d be fine. His immune system was powerful, and could protect him from even the strongest ailment.
His jog turned into a full run, his body heat rising to help fight the cold. He winced as twigs and pinecones stabbed into the soles of his bare feet, but he kept running. He ran until he heard the telltale swishing of water in a river. He followed the sound until he came upon a stream, the water crystal clear and reflecting the sunlight into his eyes. He leaned over and submerged his head, letting the biting cold water shock his senses.
Hope you wolves enjoyed this sneak peek at my current WIP! Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Feedback sates me.
-Michael
Not caught up? Don’t know who Ryan or Russell or any other character are? Then enlighten yourself by checking out DEHUMANIZED on Amazon!
April 30, 2014
Found Footage Movie List #1
#1
Release Date: February 3rd, 2012
Genre: Sci-Fi/Drama/Suspense
**DISCLAIMER: This movie contains slight language, underage drinking, mild drug use, blood, and Sci-Fi violence. Viewer discretion is advised.**
Summary:
Andrew is a troubled but creative teen with a keen visual eye and a high-quality HD camera. He is introverted and socially awkward. Along with his friends, Matt and Steve, they make a discovery that leads them all to acquire powerful telekinetic abilities. They’re now capable of almost anything. But things take a dark turn when Andrew’s mental state begins to deteriorate from his father’s physical and mental abuse.
It wasn’t hard for me to decide what movie should claim the #1 spot on my Found Footage Movie List. Chronicle was my first and always will be my first choice every time.
My discovery of this film came the day it released its trailer in late 2011. I knew this would be an amazing movie just from the trailer, but upon further inspection I discovered that this movie was written by Max Landis – son to An American Werewolf In London‘s John Landis. Everyone who knows me and who follows this blog knows that John Landis is one of my greatest heroes, and to see a movie done by his son…let’s just say I knew I would love this movie.
I was, by no means in any way shape or form, not disappointed.
The movie’s tagline is, “What are you capable of?” and aptly so. It follows Andrew; a troubled teen filming everything around him as a barrier from his harsh reality; his cousin Matt; a young man trying to find his place in the world; and their friend Steve; a rising star on the school’s football team. These three teenaged boys, after making a strange discovery at an abandoned house party, gain telekinetic abilities. The ability to move things with their minds.
At first it’s all fun and games, “boys will be boys,” but soon Andrew’s troubled home life starts to weigh on him. His sanity begins to deteriorate, making him a danger to 
everyone around him. Justifying his cruelty by calling himself an Apex Predator he begins what will always be remembered as a complete disaster.
There were so many ways I found myself relating to all three characters. Andrew’s insecurities, Matt’s nobility, Steve’s need to be the best. I was enraptured with the story from scene one. Not once did I find myself left wanting from this movie. Although it is set in the found footage format, Andrew’s telekinetic power allows him to hold the camera at cinematic angles. Sometimes you forget this movie is found footage, but it definitely is so.
The entirety of this movie was emotionally raw, powerful, and thrilling. I never once questioned if this movie was going to be as good as I imagined it to be. It surpassed all expectations and more. A truly fantastic film written by Max Landis who has stepped out of his father’s shadow to create one of his own and directed by newcomer Josh Trank. My applaud to all the actors as well for portraying such emotionally powerful characters.
More than deserving as #1 on my Top Ten Found Footage Movie List, Chronicle is a breath of fresh air in a world submerged in horrible Hollywood flops and ridiculous attempts at found footage movies.
Thank you for sticking with me and my ramblings and for following all ten movies on this list!
-Michael
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April 29, 2014
Found Footage Movie List #2
#2
Release Date: April 4th, 2014
Genre: Horror/Thriller
**DISCLAIMER: This movie contains language, blood, gore, felony, animal abuse, and depictions of horror. Viewer discretion is advised.**
Summary:
Best friends Derek and Clif set out on a trip of lifetime. Their plan: travel to the ends of the earth, see the world, and live life to the fullest. But the trip soon takes a dark and bloody turn. Just days in, one of the men shows signs of a mysterious affliction which gradually takes over his entire body and being. Now, thousands of miles from home, in a foreign land, they must race to uncover the source before it consumes him completely. Footage meant to be travel memories may now become evidence of one of the most shocking discoveries ever captured on film…and perhaps will be their only postcard home.
This is the newest movie on my list, Afflicted having only been released recently on VOD. I discovered this film during its early promotion on Facebook, and after seeing the trailer I knew I had to see it. I had to wait a while, but when it finally came out on On Demand I jumped to rent and watch it.
I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I certainly didn’t see coming the sheer awesomeness that is Afflicted. Already in love with the found footage format, I found this movie to be extremely well done with its camera quality and handling of angles. One of the two main characters is a film student who has brought all the right equipment to film everything in the best way possible, and it shows throughout the film as the action picks up how it was worth it to bring the extensive items.
Following two adventurous young adults seeking to get film to create a travel blog, Afflicted is about how one of the two characters, Derek, is infected with a strange new ailment that, at first, seems to be nothing but good. Super speed, strength, healing, senses, it seems as if Derek is a superhero. But as time passes, Clif notices how Derek is changing – physically. He doesn’t eat, he sleeps all day, and he keeps passing out. Eventually they discover there’s only one thing he needs, and it isn’t exactly easy to come by, and without it Derek’s metamorphosis continues in the worst possible way. Monstrous repercussions occur when Derek doesn’t eat, and the whole world comes to witness what happens through the camera strapped to his chest.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a movie that left me in such a state of awe, and Afflicted did that and more. From the first second I was hooked, and just as I feared the movie would end, it kept bringing the pain. It could have easily left off on a few points, which would have been a little disappointing, but they kept going until they were done with the story. A very admirable thing to do, and it was definitely worth it. I was left wanting nothing more after it was over. I was happy with every single thing this movie did, which really is a rarity as I’m always left thinking about how I would have rather something different happen at some point or another.
Deeply terrifying, morbidly fascinating, and fantastically portrayed by the actors, Afflicted is a truly spectacular movie worth the recent attention its been getting and the #2 spot on my Found Footage Movie List. I am DEFINITELY going to be getting this movie when it comes out on Blu-Ray!
-Michael
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April 28, 2014
Found Footage Movie List #3
#3-1
Release Date: September 6th, 2012
Genre: Horror/Anthology
**DISCLAIMER: This movie contains graphic depictions of blood and gore, language, explicit nudity, sexual situations and mild drug use. Viewer discretion is advised.**
Summary:
Winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2012 Award.
When a group of petty criminals is hired by a mysterious party to retrieve a rare piece of found footage from a rundown house in the middle of nowhere, they soon realize that the job isn’t going to be as easy as they thought. In the living room, a lifeless body holds court before a hub of old television sets, surrounded by stacks upon stacks of VHS tapes. As they search for the right one, they are treated to a seemingly endless number of horrifying videos, each stranger than the last.
Bringing together some of the top filmmakers in the game today, this wickedly conceived horror anthology sends the viewer through a gauntlet of suspense, terror, shock, and downright brutality—instantly distinguishing itself from a sea of lackluster found-footage horror flicks. The diverse and deviously creative minds behind V/H/S shatter any preconceived notions about the genre, making it feel inventive and captivating once again.
Today on my Found Footage Movie List I have a double-feature. Instead of highlighting one movie in this post, I’m discussing two films of equal magnificence. The first being V/H/S.
Previously included at #1 in my Halloween Movie List, V/H/S is without a doubt a uniquely terrifying anthology film with five segments depicting horrible things happening to (sometimes) ordinary people. Throughout the five segments there’s a main narrative being told, a group of hoodlums breaking into a home and watching these horrific short films.
Each segment is shot in the found footage format, giving the entire movie an extra edge of horror, as the lack of music “professional” editing takes away any notion that something is coming. In most horror films you can tell something is about to happen by the way the music is playing, or if it abruptly stops; but not in this film. There’s no way to see what’s coming to make you scream until it’s too late.
My favorite segment, if I had to choose, would be “Amateur Night.” Following the exploits of three college boys just looking for some fun, things take a very terrifying twist when one of the girls they’ve picked up is a demon.
Each segment, including the main narrative, is uniquely scary in its own right. Sex-hungry demons, murdering lesbians, ghosts on Skype, Slender-Man (or a version thereof) and botched exorcisms… there’s no way to NOT like this movie!
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#3-2
Release Date: June 6th, 2013
Genre: Horror/Thriller/Anthology
**DISCLAIMER: This movies contains graphic depictions of blood and gore, language, nudity, sexual situations, blasphemy, and ritualistic sacrifice. Viewer discretion is advised.**
Summary
The search for a missing teen leads two private investigators into a derelict house littered with mysterious VHS tapes in this sequel to the hit horror anthology V/H/S. As the detectives scan the videotapes in search of vital clues, what they find instead is a series of tales so shocking they are driven to the edge of madness. Genre specialists Simon Barrett, Adam Wingard, Jason Eisener, Edúardo Sanchez, Gregg Hale, Timo Tjahjanto, and Gareth Evans lead viewers on a terrifying ride into a world where your worst nightmares come true.
It’s very rare when anyone can say they loved the sequel to a movie just as much, if not more than the original. V/H/S/2 is definitely one that you can say it with.
When this movie came out, I was one of the many clamoring to see it. Having been in love with the first movie (see previous title) I knew I’d like this movie, even if Only to a lesser extent. I figured sequels aren’t as good as the original (just look at what I have to say about Paranormal Activity) and although I had high hopes for this movie I was prepared to be slightly disappointed, my standards having been set so high by the first movie. But when I finally saw this movie it not only met my standards but surpassed them altogether.
Set in the same found footage anthology format, this movie follows in the steps of its predecessor with four short segments of horror and gore, all seen through the viewing of the characters in the main narrative. More is revealed in this movie as to why these tapes exist, and what it does to someone should they watch them in a certain sequence. It ties in very well, the main narrative giving clues as to what happened in the first movie and hints as to why it happened in the first place.
Each segment brings a new kind of horror to the movie: poltergeist seen through a camera built in a man’s eye, a gritty zombie invasion from the perspective of the zombie, a religious cult trapping a film crew in their compound to sacrifice, and an alien abduction. All of this woven into the main sequence of two detectives searching for a missing teenager who, for some sick reason, owns all of these tapes and wishes to make his own.
The entirety of this film is terrific. Shocking, terrifying, thrilling, and at times gross, both movies have earned their shared #3 spot on my Found Footage Movie List.
-Michael
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April 27, 2014
Found Footage Movie List #4
#4
Release Date: June 27th, 2013
Genre: Sci-Fi/Suspense/Thriller
**DISCLAIMER: This movie contains language, blood, and depictions of extraterrestrials.**
Summary:
The astronauts William Xu, Rosa Dasque, Dr. Daniel Luxembourg, Dr. Katya Petrovna, Andrei Blok and James Corrigan travel to the moon of Jupiter known as Europa in the spacecraft Europa One. Their assignment is to investigate the existence of life in Europa, based on the discovery of water in the moon. When their communications shut down and their engines are compromised, they get stranded on Europa. Will they be able to fix the engines and return to Earth with their findings?
Hailed as the single most accurate movie about space travel, Europa Report is a fascinating, thought-provoking thriller about a crew of astronauts in search of life outside of Earth.
Seen through the cameras built into their ship, the crew sets off to Jupiter’s moon, Europa, where they believe to have found water and, possibly, a habitat for living beings. Only a few months out into their journey, the crew loses communications with Earth and are left flying solo. After the loss of one of their crewmates, the mission takes a dark turn as they grow closer to their destination. Once there, they find more than they could have ever hoped for – or even wanted.
My initial discovery of this movie came about due to it being produced by Magnet Releasing, one of my favorite film companies, and then I was hooked when I learned Sharlto Copley, an actor I admire, was involved. With these contributing factors I knew I had to see this movie, and when I finally did I was awed by the sheer magnificence that is Europa Report.
There have been many movies about space travel – Apollo 13, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Gravity, etc., – but in my opinion this movie here is the best out of all of them. The found footage aspect makes it seem so much more real than the other movies, and you gain an emotional connection with the characters – feeling their turmoil and strife with being stranded. I gained a real connection to this movie, which is a rarity when it comes to movies in general. It’s easy to love a movie, but not so easy to actually care.
I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I had to watch this movie more than once to understand all of it. It’s one of those movies where if you don’t pay attention, you aren’t going to get it. It’s thick with science and the thrilling wonders of outer space. The latter half of the movie, when they are actually on the moon, there comes into play an element of horror, as signs of something living under the ice begin to appear. You see the camaraderie in the characters as they try to fix their ship and escape the potential threat, the sacrifices they make in order to save one another and prove to the world that there is life on other worlds. In the end you’re left with a feeling of shock and awe, watching those last few seconds with rapt attention to soak in as much as possible from the conclusion of this story.
Earning its #4 spot on my Found Footage Movie List with ingenuity, Europa Report is a truly fascinating Sci-Fi thriller that depicts a story of sacrifice, scientific discovery, and proof that found footage movies are on the up-swing!
-Michael
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